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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:AMIGA NOTES
Notice:Join us in the *NEW* conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:HYDRA::MOORE
Created:Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5378
Total number of notes:38326

1707.0. "Disk Quality" by ANT::SMCAFEE (Steve McAfee) Wed Sep 21 1988 16:02

    Thought some of you might be interested in this so I grabbed it
    off another notes file.
    
    - steve

                    <<< NAC::WORK$01:[NOTES$LIBRARY]IBMPC.NOTE;1 >>>
                                  -< IBM PCs >-
================================================================================
Note 2057.0              3.5 inch floppy disk ratings                  2 replies
IAMOK::DEVIVO "Paul DeVivo @VRO, DTN 273-5166"       33 lines  20-SEP-1988 16:44
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The September 19th issue of MIS Week published results of the
        1988 3.5 inch Floppy Disk Quality Report on Page 32.
        
                   Brand        Quality  Price               
                                                
                   BASF            C       B               
                   Brown           B       C               
                   Centech         C       A               
                   C. Itoh         A       C               
                   Dysan           F       B               
                   Fuji            B       C               
                   IBM             A       F               
                   JVC             C       A               
                   Kao             A       B               
                   Kodak           C       D               
                   Maxell          B       B               
                   Memorex         A       C               
                   Memory Media    D       B               
                   Nashua          C       B               
                   Opus            D       B               
                   Polaroid        B       B               
                   SKC             F       A               
                   Sentinel        D       A               
                   Sony            B       C               
                   Syncom          B       B               
                   TDK             A       B               
                   3M              D       C               
                   Verbatim        B       B               
                   Wabash          F       D               
                   Xidex           F       A                  
                                         
        A=Excellent; B=Good; C=Average; D=Below Average; F=Poor
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1707.1Memorex disks at BJ'sMEIS::ZIMMERMANWalt sent meWed Sep 21 1988 16:255
    BJ's Wholesale on Rte 9 in Westboro has Memorex disks (and BASF
    disks, as someone already mentioned) for $13 a 10-pack. 

    - Cliff
1707.2Software Etc/FujiRAVEN1::EVERHARTWed Sep 21 1988 16:3512
    re .0
    
    	I bought a brand of disks that Software Etc. was selling in
    Atlanta.  The disks have their label on them, but are made by Fuji.
    They seem to be excellent disks, and were a steal at only $13.65
    for a single box of 10.  (In other words, you don't need to buy
    more than one box).  If the Memorex disks in .1 can be bought as
    single boxes, than it's an outstanding deal.  Just thought I'd put
    my $0.01 in.
    
     - Chris
    
1707.3Bad Diskettes?CIMAMT::CROMACKWed Sep 21 1988 17:4713
I bought some verbatim diskettes and am having trouble with
them.  I'm wondering if it is my drive.  I have a standard amiga
external drive.  I can format most of the disketts but I usually
get a read/write error when I start putting files on the disk.
I've had this problem with a lot of diskettes.  Does anyone know
if there is some way I can test my drive?


			Dean Cromack

P.S. I get some diskettes to work.  They don't all fail.    

1707.4one or moreWJG::GUINEAUJust a Window in TimeWed Sep 21 1988 19:067

re .2:

Yup, BJ's  has single boxes of 10 for $13.

John
1707.5Bonus {Verbatim} diskettes are fine.DNEAST::SEELEY_BOBWed Sep 21 1988 19:065
    I've had very good luck with the Bonus {Verbatim} diskettes.  I've
    gotten them on sale on at least one occasion for ~$12.00 at Service
    Merchandise (normally they are about $14.00 for 11).  I have 
    used them almost exclusively for the last three months with no
    read/write failures and, so far, no complaints.
1707.6Single-sided?RAVEN1::EVERHARTWed Sep 21 1988 19:2716
    re .3
    	It's possible that you're accidentally buying single sided
    diskettes instead of double sided.  With 5.25 inch diskettes, this
    almost always doesn't matter.  Both sides are prepared on the diskette,
    but only one is checked.  However, this philosophy isn't always
    correct with the 3.5" diskettes.  Many dealers only prepare one
    side when they make the single-sided diskettes.  Also, the Verbatim
    diskettes may be a particularly bad brand that your disk drive doesn't
    like.  If you want to take advantage of the lower priced single-sided
    diskettes that work just like the double-sided ones, then Maxell
    makes some that are high quality.  I've used the Maxell single-sided
    several times, and my computer doesn't even know the difference.
    I hope you find the problem, whatever it might be.
    
     - Chris
    
1707.7More Bad DiskettesCIMAMT::CROMACKSat Sep 24 1988 02:3810

Is there something special about cylinder 40 on a diskette?
That is the cylinder which seems to fail.

Is there a virus out there that would do this?

		Dean Cromack


1707.8OS BugTLE::RMEYERSRandy MeyersSat Sep 24 1988 20:447
Re: .7

There is a bug in the operating system that a timer request for an interrupt
in 0 seconds results in track 40 of the floppy being trashed.

Early versions of the Drew shell exercised this bug.  What software do you
typically run?
1707.9Could this be the problem?CIMAMT::CROMACKMon Sep 26 1988 11:4610
>Early versions of the Drew shell exercised this bug.  What software do you
>typically run?

I was running arc (v2.3 I think)

I may also have been using ARP 1.1.

				Dean Cromack